Animal Heart
by starsinlove
Summary: As his dad's tiresome messenger, Draco finds himself trapped in a cold forest in his Animagus form and wounded. Hermione discovers him and helps patch up his wounded leg... and his heart. Rated T because I'm sexy & I know it... not really :
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone :) My mind is running dry from school work and I AM continuing Loveless... just had to get this plot bunny out of the way... I'm so so sorry for making you guys wait :'( So, enjoy this little short. I may continue it if I'm in the mood to. It's just a little side story I'll update every once in a while. And another thing, italics went loco on me, and some words might not be spaced out... I corrected what I saw so yep. Enjoy, my friends!

Disclaimer: I want them for Christmas. Santa hasn't replied yet.

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><p><em>Oh <em>_bloody __hell_, Draco thought grudgingly. He was in his Animagus form, which was a sleek, pale wolf. A wolf that just damaged his foot by running through a snowy forest of fallen trees and things. Stupid wolf. Got him a twig in the front paw.

Draco limped through the forest, blood making a drippy trail behind him. Someone would find him soon. Someone would help him.

Or try to shoot him. Muggles did.

Unable to walk any farther, he settled under a massive tree, keeping his left front paw away from the frozen snow. His mind wandered, obsessing over what he should do. He couldn't turn back into his human form; the wound would look far worse and he would take days to get out of the bloody forest without a wand and fast feet. He could hardly find his way out as a wolf, anyway.

He had turned into his Animagus to send a message his father demanded be sent to his mother. He was doing great until fifteen minutes ago, when he spotted the darkening forest and his ego challenged him to a race there.

Bloody Malfoy ego.

Suddenly, he heard the crack of a twig to his left. He swiveled and tried to get into a hunter's crouch while keeping his paw levitated. His teeth bared and a growl rumbled in his throat. There was a murmured _Lumos_ and a face appeared in the night.

Draco froze. It was the girl Weasley.

"Hermione," she whispered. "I found it; he's got a twig in his paw."

Another light appeared, the face it lit closer to Draco. He snarled and inched away from Granger, only to jump closer, yelping in protest as his injured paw hit the snow.

_Merlin __have __mercy_, Draco thought in agony as the cold shot through his wound. With that, Granger came close enough to be able to touch his fur and she observed the wound with intense eyes. Draco snapped at her. _Dirty __Mudblood__…__  
><em>"He has quite the attitude," Weaselette muttered.

"All wild ones do. Let's take him back," Granger said. "We can't heal him with magic; it'll mess up his paw." _'__Take __him __back__'__?_ Draco thought. _They__'__re __not __coming __anywhere __near-!_

He never finished his thought before Granger waved her wand over him and blackness invaded his mind.

OoOoOo

Hermione Apparated back to her apartment with the injured wolf, Ginny close behind. She levitated the unconscious creature onto the spare cot she always had for guests in the middle of her living room. Hermione kneeled next to the cot brushing a hand over the wolf's sharp muzzle.

"Get the purple potion, Ginny," Hermione commanded. Ginny ran out of the living room. Hermione gritted her teeth. Evidently, she would need to pull the sharp twig out. It would wake the wolf and either she or Ginny could be hurt.

When Ginny came back into the room with the potion, she told her to set it down on the coffee table for now.

"We obviously need to get this out first," Hermione said worriedly, gesturing to the grotesque twig. "I need you to hold him down…"

OoOoOo

Draco was pulled out of the darkness by a sharp pain in his front foot. He howled and pulled himself away from the hands hurting him. His eyes snapped open and he was met by two pairs of surprised eyes. He struggled to get out of what looked like a swinging bed and snarled at the two feminine bodies. He managed to hop out of the bed and limp to the corner of the living room.

_Foul, __dirty __women! __Don__'__t __touch __me! __For __Merlin__'__s __sake! __You __could __have __just __killed __me __with __your __soiled __hands! __Keep __your __bloody __hands __away__…__!_

OoOoOo

The snowy wolf jumped out of the cot and made it into a corner of the living room, growling out what sounded like human profanity at the two witches. Hermione frowned at the wolf. What in bloody hell was wrong with it? Sure, she had healed other fierce creatures, but at least they were smart enough to realize they were being helped.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" She yelled out, frustrated. The strange wolf froze then bristled in anger. Then it let out a somewhat disgruntled mumble and limped back, settling three feet away from Hermione and Ginny. He glared at the gory twig in Hermione's clutches.

There was a sudden, shrill beeping coming from Ginny's pocket. Ginny pulled out her wand and looked back at Hermione in a regretful fashion.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione, I've got to get back home. James…" Ginny trailed off.

"It is fine, Ginny, go on," Hermione shushed. "I'll handle this one fine myself."

OoOoOo

_'__This __one__'__, _Draco thought sneeringly. _Making __me __sound __like __I__'__m __not __bloody __human. __Even __told __me __to __shut __up!_

The sane part of him reminded him quietly that he wasn't quite human at the moment, but the sane part was much too small to be heard.

"Now," Granger murmured. "Let's get you all sorted out."

Granger leaned to the right and seized a bubbling thing in a bottle off her coffee table. She swished the contents of the bottle round then leaned back towards Draco. Draco shifted his paw slightly so Granger couldn't snatch it. Granger rolled her eyes and took the paw gently.

"Oh, hush," she said. "It's just a pain-relief potion."

She poured half of it onto his paw and the reprieve was overwhelming. Draco couldn't control the rumble of contentment bubbling in his chest. Granger shot him a smug look. She then conjured a long bandage and wrapped it tight around Draco's paw.

OoOoOo

"There," Hermione said, tightening the bandage. The wolf looked determinedly away from her.

_Peculiar __wolf,_she thought mildly, getting up from the floor to get him something to eat. She didn't actually know what wolves ate. That could be a problem.

She tried raw fish and ended up with a stinking mess on the carpet.

She tried cat food and almost had the wolf injured again when an orange mess of fur called Crookshanks pounced on him and started trying to tear his pale coat apart. Apparently, Crookshanks is possessive of his food.

Cooked meat worked, at least.

OoOoOo

Granger was really pushing it. If she didn't have a wand right now and he had his, he would have turned back into his human form and given her the worst bloody hex he could think of… and a good thirty minute rant.

Yeah. Moving on.

He felt ashamed; he had to scratch the door to ask to get out. Worst yet, he was not let out.

"You're not going to get out there and almost kill yourself again," Granger scolded, making herself comfortable on the sofa with a fat book. "You'll have to stay here for a while."

Draco grumbled and seethed, but it was no use. Granger was a stubborn woman. He rolled his huge eyes and lumbered away from his cot and the couch. He went exploring in her house, finding a bonanza of intimidating Muggle gadgets. One, he recognized, was used to polish some kind of thin, cylinder tube of grey-ish powder. Granger once used the tube to write a message to someone. Another was some kind of electrical box. One half of it contained a long, black rectangle, but when you poked the numbers on the second half, the first half lit up and showed a picture of Granger with a woman that looked like her mum.

Draco wandered, finally coming to the door of what looked like Granger's room.

And right there by her bed was that cursed cat.

OoOoOo

Hermione was pulled from her book by a sharp yelp of complaint somewhere in the left side of her house. She threw the book down onto the sofa and sprinted towards her room.

When she ran into the hall of her room, her alarm vanished and laughter overpowered her. Crookshanks was hissing and circling the wolf, which stood his ground, his fur bristling, but he made no move to get Crookshanks out of the way. She picked up Crookshanks, who hissed one last time before turning to his master and mewing ingenuously. Hermione, who was still shaking with laughter, almost dropped the furry pet.

OoOoOo

The little procession marched from the hall back to the living room, Draco leading with a pout on his face. He had tried so hard to resist the temptation to smash the cat into pieces; Granger would hex his arse off if he had, wolf or human. And after trying so hard not to kill her cat, all Granger did was laugh at him! The bloody _witch_…

Granger was still chuckling when he threw himself onto his cot. He turned away from her while she put her cat outside. He knew he was being a child, but he just couldn't help it; Granger was so unfair sometimes!

Someone opened and shut the back door, and Draco couldn't help but look; Of course it was Granger. She still had a smirk on her face. Draco grumbled, dropping his head down to his paws and wrenching his head away from her. Granger came up to the cot and folded herself on the floor next to it. Her hand rubbed his furry ear. And he didn't pull away. It actually felt okay.

"I'm sorry, wolf. Forgive me, then?" She asked playfully. Draco turned to her, an irritated growl at his throat. He went to bite her fingers, but had no intention of hurting her. Hermione laughed, picking herself up off the ground.

"You did forgive me," she teased. "Stop hiding it."

Draco rolled his onyx eyes, but made no attempt to retort in his wolf-ish ways. Hermione pattered away. His ears pricked at the sound of cheerful pans clinking together in the kitchen on his right. There were splashing sounds. Washing the mess from, _ahem_, supper.

Hey, it wasn't like it was his fault he couldn't eat wolf food. He was an aristocratic and intelligent wizard for crying out loud! They don't eat such rubbish as raw fish and cat food! It was that woman's fault. Some brightest witch of the age.

Crookshanks crept back into the house and plopped himself by the fire, his ear twitching in rhythm with the banging pans. He watched the skinny wolf that was moving to drape himself across one of the living room couches. Crookshanks felt wary; the wolf was no good. He would take his mistress's heart away. Even Crookshanks couldn't help admitting to himself in his cat ways that this animal was more handsome and striking than the others his mistress had brought in.

Draco watched Granger's moody cat from the corner of his eye. The cat cocked it head at him for a moment before yawning and stretching just as the brunette witch finished cleaning up and entered the fireplace-warmed living room. She smiled and scooped up the drowsy cat.

"Time for bed, then?" She cooed, stroking the flat-faced furry in her arms. She went to put Crookshanks to bed in her room then came back to change Draco's bandages.

"I guess you'll have to sleep here," Granger apologized. "Unless you're too afraid. Then you can come with me and Crookshanks if you like. Just know you might wake up with some claw marks on you."

Granger chuckled as Draco _harrumph-_ed. He didn't move from the soft, pale couch he was drooped over. Instead, he turned his head away from Hermione and tried to sleep. He heard the quiet swish of a wand and the room darkened.

OoOoOo

As their lives went on, after he laid claims on one of Hermione's living room couches, Draco was slowly starting to get used to the Muggle-born and even her stingy cat. And Draco found himself slowly admiring Hermione. Her laugh. Her wild curls. Her almond gold eyes. Her… lips. Just as he fell harder, his chance was taken by that freckled weasel thing. And his un… human… ish state. Speaking of said circumstances, Draco was starting to fear staying as a wolf all the time. He was starting to adjust and get used to the ways of the animal. He felt he no longer wanted to be haughty and mean or sneering and emotionless or…

Like Draco Malfoy.

And slowly, with his human instincts, Draco felt his darkness slipping away.

OoOoOo

It was a late but bright Wednesday morning. The birds seemed to be performing a concert outside, each one spotlighted by buttery sunrays. Crookshanks and Draco were settled on Draco's couch, the former batting playfully at the latter's swishing tail. Granger had left for work a few hours ago, leaving breakfast along with the animals' afternoon meals. Everything, from Draco and Crookshanks's perspective, seemed set for a happy day. Neither was aware anything was wrong.

OoOoOo

Meanwhile, on Hermione's end of the line, things were chaotic. Everything seemed to go wrong at once. There was a new Death Eater scandal; Rudolphus Lestrange had caused some kind of ruckus in Gringotts. Lucius Malfoy driven into madness and murmuring about messages and his wife, who moved herself to France. A Ministry hacker found the key to the Veriteseruam cabinet and there wasn't a drop left. A minuscule band of dark wizards who called themselves the Devil's Apprentices struggled to cause trouble in the Wizarding world; they had only succeeded once, but had caused much damage. And last…

Draco Malfoy had gone missing. This last bit had stuck to Hermione like it had been smacked onto her skin with a Permanent Sticking Charm.

_ Malfoy…_

_ Malfoy…_

_ Malfoy was missing…_

_ Why __did __it __seem __so __important?_ She wondered as she pushed her office door open.

As soon as Hermione had her bum seated in her plush chair, Harry had come in and smacked a bulging file folder onto her desk, ranting angrily about everything going wrong on the same day. It took him approximately twenty minutes to get it all out of his system before he tried his best to explain the situation to Hermione calmly.

"Malfoy has gone missing," he said, slightly breathless. "I need you to locate him and find out why he left and everything. This is all the information we have on him… Well… what I could find. There are still some missing spots but… it'll help. Ron's team is also working on this."

Harry turned sharply and walked out of Hermione's office. _Probably __going __to __take __his __frustration __out __on __someone __else_, she thought. She focused on the pale folder, flipping it open and revealing a picture of Draco's rotating face, showing off all of his features. She had to admit, she fell hard for his adult look, which had completely pushed the attractive, Hogwarts Draco off the scale. The mature Draco had let his hair loose of the thick gel he used to smear into his hair and it gave him a naturally handsome look; Hermione couldn't admit she liked it a whole lot. She flipped through all the identity sheets that had been done on him each year, all explaining pretty much the same thing about his wealth, his appearance and such. The Hermione came across a thicket of papers that were stuck together with a charm; the title on the first page was a scrawl Hermione recognized. She ran a finger across Harry hurried writing.

_List of Stuff on Draco Malfoy_

Hermione laughed at his vague attention to sounding official. She flipped to the next page, coming to a long list of "stuff" on Malfoy that Harry claimed would help.

_Blonde __hair_

Hermione shook her head. Did Harry really need to waste the space?

_ Grey eyes_

Sometimes onyx… or blue, Hermione added mentally. How did she know these things…?

_ Six foot something_

She applauded Harry silently for his attention at detail and for digging out a sort of valuable asset.

_ A Black family heir_

That wasn't completely hard to guess. Considering Hermione had gone to the Greatest and Most Noble House of Black several times and had observed every inch of their family tree room and found the Malfoys' connection to the family right away. No, not very hard…

_ Family blackmailed by the Dark Lord_

So the rumors were true…

_ Worked as a robes assistant before being fired for enraging costumers _

Hermione chuckled, but it wasn't something she didn't expect.

_ Currently works as Head Healer at St. Mungo's_

Hermione rested her chin on her hand, wondering when the information sheet would get better. News had gone out so quickly about Draco Malfoy that none of the above situations surprised her.

_ His family pet dragon was the one guarding Gringotts until early 21st century_

Hermione wondered what Harry was thinking when he wrote all this down in his chicken scratch… How was this random fact going to help her? Sure, she remembered the half-blind beast; it was pure terror for her when it started flying.

_ Animagus_

Animagus. He was an Animagus. That rang a dim bell.

_ Unknown animal_

She tried to suppress her suspicions, but she couldn't help checking. Hermione flipped forward to the page that gave all the information on when Malfoy had vanished.

Three weeks ago.

She found that wolf three weeks ago. The really strange one that liked to act like a human. An aristocratic human, at that. Could it really be him? Impossible. He would have changed and hexed her by now. Called her a Mudblood or some kind of foul name. Draco Malfoy would never get along with her cat!

But…

The wolf _was_ being pretty nasty to Ron the day he came over. And he _was_ muttering something like foul names when she and Ginny first found her…

Hermione stacked the papers neatly and quickly, hugging the folder to her as she stumbled and tripped out of her office and headed for Ron's to compare information.

When she burst through the door, the scene that met her eyes was not one she anticipated. Her boyfriend. Ronald Bilius Weasley. Half naked. Stripping off Pansy Parkinson's revealing shirt. Pansy saw her from over Ron's shoulder and she screamed and pointed towards her with a clawed finger.

Hermione turned robotically and marched out of his office. She heard Ron protest behind her, but she didn't care anymore. That bastard! She was done!

OoOoOo

Draco was startled awake from his fuzzy nap at the sound of someone wrenching open Hermione's complaining door. He leaped agilely off the couch, preparing to confront the intruder as the distressed door slammed shut. Only Merlin knew how perturbed and shocked Draco felt when he peeked around the corner and saw Hermione Granger ripping her socks off angrily and sending them flying across the room. Draco glanced quickly at the rudely ticking clock atop the door. Eleven thirteen. He knew she was quite passionate about her work and got up as early as four thirty on a regular day. And the earliest she would ever be _home_ was seven at night.

Draco gave a curious whine, trying to get Granger to notice his snowy head popped around the corner. She stomped angrily past him and crumpled herself into a ball on the corner of her couch. Draco hopped on easily, poking her shoulder and making quiet yelps. Crookshanks was nowhere in sight.

One poke.

Two.

Paw on the arm.

Draco even tried to dig his head between her arm and chest. She slapped him with her head still down.

"Stop bothering me," she said in a muffled tone. From the sniffling noise she made, Draco knew she was crying. Damn, what could he do? He hopped off the couch in search of the orange fur demon…

OoOoOo

Hermione sniffed loudly. It wasn't the wolf's fault. He was comforting her. Maybe he was right about Ron.

At that moment, she heard an inhuman shriek that sounded strangely like her cat. When she lifted her head, she was greeted by the sight of Crookshanks being carried in by the nape of the neck, hissing what seemed like cat profanity. The wolf dropped the furry next to Hermione and Crookshanks instantly worried himself with Hermione's tearful face. He mewed and squeezed himself to her chest, licking her face in concern. Hermione laughed, though her voice was still dampened with slight sadness. She turned to Draco with a tiny smile lighting her face.

"Thanks, wolf," she said quietly.

Draco made a strange huffing noise back, showing a dangerous, toothy grin.

"I know you meant well. Though… I wouldn't risk the grabbing by the neck trick again… You wouldn't be able to live this long," she teased.

OoOoOo

Granger reached over to stroke his thick fur and sighed.

"I'm just… so depressed over Ron," she said. "He was cheating on me… this morning. With Pansy Parkinson. Maybe you were right about him."

Sick.

Bastard.

"I'm over him," she comforted him as he started a stream of growls. "I really am."

She sighed again.

"Maybe I shouldn't have left," she decided. "I need to work on Malfoy's case anyway."

Draco didn't stop growling, afraid to reveal himself. Inside, he was going nuts. _Malfoy__'__s __case. _His _case.__His __disappearance. __Of __course! __And __she __just __happened t__o __receive __it __in __the __Department __of __Mysteries! __Oh __God. __She __probably __already __knew __it __was __him! __They __had __his __Animagus __records__… __they __would __notify __her._

_ He would have to leave._

When he actually thought about, his heart protested. He needed her. Her comfort, her care, and her heart. Even her stinking cat made him feel at home.

Home.

He'd never actually had one until now. And after weeks of having the warm feeling… he was forced to leave. She would hate him if he revealed himself. They were enemies, he thought sadly. They couldn't be friends.

On the outside, he showed a goofy countenance, rolling closer to Hermione and allowed her to pet him just a little longer…

"What's the sudden friendliness?" Hermione asked with a smile. She had to admit, the wolf made her feel better beyond measure. And she felt relieved to cross him off the Malfoy suspect list. After all, where could Malfoy have found such a heart?


	2. Sneak Peek!

My dear, dear readers,

I am so _overly, incredibly, undeniably_ **sorry** for not uploading fast enough :(. I had my computer taken away for the latter half of December and got it back only days ago. Every time I checked my email on my iPhone and saw a review or favorite for this story, I _twitched_. Seriously, I was ready to break down for not being on time with you guys. And I also have to finish up my fanfiction, "Loveless"…

So, I'm trying to make things up to you, but I have a short little preview of the next chapter. It may be different in the actually chapter. I will try to have the chapter posted by this week (Oh **God**, here I go making promises) and thank you guys so much for being patient with me!

-ang

Well, here goes it…

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><p>Draco let out the breath he held as he entered the shadows of Knockturn Alley. Just as he figured how to escape, someone pulled hard on his skinny tail. <em>Oh,<em> bugger_, _he thought. He wasn't fast enough. He turned slowly to face Granger, flustered and ready to kick wolf arse. She folded her arms and clicked her toe against the slick, dark tile.

"So," she said, her voice loud in the dirty alley. "I see you're having fun, roaming around with no food."

Draco plopped down on his hind legs, swishing his tail innocently and cocking his head at her. That did it. Hermione dragged him into a darker vessel of Knockturn Alley by his tail and went off on him.

"I can't believe you!" She hissed. "After those months I spent healing you and caring for you and providing you shelter, you thank me by leaving in the middle of the night? You ungrateful _mongrel_!"

Draco leaned back and yelped in shock. Granger opened her mouth again, but started tearing up before she could finish her scolding. She dropped down to her knees so that she looked up to see Draco's face. She circled his neck of fur, wringing the breath out of him in her hug. Draco's heart twisted and turned. Hermione unburied herself from the animal's neck, slightly ashamed of herself. She was scolding and crying on a poor wolf, for Merlin's sake. She gave the wolf an apologetic smile and stood, though her hand stayed on his broad back.

"C'mon," she sniffed. "I'm taking you home."


	3. Sarcastic Mooded Me

Oh, aren't you guys excited? Here's my stupid personality popping up again! Alright, I know I'm pissing you guys off… :( I'm pissing me off too but I have to do this. I HATE these reviews.

My lovely 'sarcastic mooded me'-

Sorry, "mooded" isn't a word, number one. And two, is that a joke? Really? Sorry, don't get it. You know, I've always thought of blocking anonymous reviews, but I get so much love from many anonymous reviews; the pros may outweigh the cons, but the cons are serious _buggers_. If you're just here because you're in a bad mood and want to write nasty things that don't give any relevant suggestion or encouragement, go find a therapist or some ice cream and _sod off_. And unlucky for you, I have lost all patience for these kinds of people on my stories.

Oh, go on, get angry and defend yourself. It was just a joke and you were telling me things in a roundabout, "sarcastic" way. That I shouldn't be so wound up about it. Well, darling, I'm so _very_ not sorry to say I didn't get the joke, I'm totally wound up and I don't do extremely overly "cool" sarcasm jokes.

Sorry. Had to insert the sarcasm.

From the very fed up writer who wrote this story (odd, huh?)

As for my other readers, I need to say sorry to the billionth power. I'm sorry I'm a slowpoke, I'm sorry I wasted your time, I'm sorry you thought this was the second chapter, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. :'(

You guys have been sparking and encouraging this story and I just give you all this time wasting shenanigans. I hope you all are okay with my stupidity and I already owe you for putting up with the last author's note. But I actually do have the smallest bit of news (not nearly enough to make up for you guys). I've been thinking… maybe I should make this a sort of series and have a same scenario for different couples (i.e. Harry and Ginny). I've been looking over the simple outline, but I want to see if you guys would like that (:

Thank you for your support! Love you guys!

… If you're wondering how I jumped from completely put out to all sentimental, sorry, I don't know either.

Sealed,

Ang


	4. Chapter 2

Hello hello! This is an actual update. Sorry to all. But it has come to my attention that there is a wolf fiction out there called "Snuffles" I liked it and you should all read it (Dramione) But I can't help but feel bugged by it. It was finished rather quickly and it had the wolf idea in there... it was a sister of a sort. I don't know. I'm completely paranoid. Please enjoy! I've decided on three chapters or so instead. Thank you for your support!

And I know the last bit is a tad confusing... Just understand Draco is going through funny phases. He's never known love and it's something confusing and oddly dynamic. Please understand why I wrote the last bit and don't send anymore hate.

And also... the preview is of chapter three... I decided to split it up :)

* * *

><p>Draco blinked lazily at the feeble fire, his head resting on the sleeping Hermione's lap. Part of him was flying, jittery as he was the girl he was in love with, but the other half was depressed. The continuously ticking clock reminded him he would have to leave soon. He had to put his foot down. Only Merlin knew how soon Hermione would find out about who he really was. He raised his head slightly and stretched his long body, which was draped across two of the three cushions on the couch. He made sure Crookshanks was still fast asleep on the rug and quietly started his departure.<p>

As he gently removed himself from Hermione, he felt a piece of his heart slowly tear and stay lying there with her. He padded through the rooms quietly, memorizing every bit as he stepped closer and closer to the darkening door.

Before he could force himself to transform and push the door open quietly, he spotter something oozing off of Hermione's shining table and onto the floor. _She must have been rushing this morning,_ Draco though in dampened amusement. He took a step towards the drippy table and then whipped his head back to the ominous door.

_Just a moment,_ he persuaded himself. _Just a last goodbye…_

OoOoOo

Hermione woke to the sound of Crookshanks crying. _Oh, hell,_ she though groggily. She'd definitely overslept.

As she rubbed her tired eyes, she paused in horror. Crookshanks never cried… and the head on her lap? Where had it gone? Her eyes snapped open and instantly landed on the pressed cushions next to her. Nothing. She shot up, her knees groaning and cracking. Crookshanks was still planted by the fireplace, crinkled in a pitiful, crying ball. She flicked all the lights on with her wand, though morning light streamed through her window. Her nerves were startled awake and started going haywire. Could he have been killed? Kidnapped? Fainted?

She sifted through all of the rooms, coming up to the kitchen last. _The bastard_ had left her ink overturned and a puddle of darkness seeped deeper into the floor. She vanished the ink quickly and angrily, her head cursing the wolf she brought back to health. Just as she turned to go back to the warmed living room, she spotted a flash of white hiding from behind a table leg. She held her wand out in front of her out of instinct and peeked around the table to get a closer look. She became slightly pink when she realized it was a square sheet of paper. She set her wand down and snatched it up. The side she glared at was a pristine white, though she saw something darkened the other side. She flipped it and her heart sank. Was this his goodbye?

Stamped neatly and taking up the whole sheet was his ink paw print.

OoOoOo

Draco's lids drooped slightly, but he didn't stop sprinting. The Manor… it would just be a few minutes away. He could feel it and smell it. He slowed only to swerve out of the way of dangerous branches and such. He didn't want to take a risk again.

As he hurdled past patches of grass and large, shadowy trees, the scene started to become familiar. He passed the noisy Muggle park his mum used to take him secretly to when he was younger and then approached the high bushes and wiry gates of his home only a five minutes later. He closed his eyes and shifted quickly, walking through the gate at the same time. He kept his eyes closed, walking up to the magicked door and crushing it with his mind's hands and stepping through the splinters. His frustration and exhaustion finally overtook him and the last thing he saw through his blurred gaze was his bewildered father.

He woke what seemed like many bleary hours later to a quivering wand prodding his side. He groaned and someone choked on a gasp beside him, retreating quickly. Draco wretched his eyes open and met his father's alarmed eyes and shaking wand.

"Wha-… Who are you?" Lucius squeaked with a tremulous voice. Draco blinked.

Well. This certainly wasn't what he was expecting. At least his dad _trying_ to be funny. Draco picked himself up and the blood rushed through him, making him wobble his way up to standing. He kicked away splinters of the door and Lucius jumped with a short scream.

"Right, father," Draco said. "Where's my wand? And don't give me that scared look. I'm glad you can make jokes, but this isn't the time."

His father's eyebrows furrowed.

"What is that you are calling me? Father?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, _father_."

"I'm sorry, young man. I only have one son and he is out on a very long errand for me. You haven't seen him, have you? He should be back by now."

Draco gaped and the thinking man.

"Well…" He trailed thinking quickly. "I'm helping you here while he's gone."

"Why?"

"Because… Because he instructed me to. So, I'm going to stay here a while."

"Oh, alright. I guess you can use his quarters as well."

Lucius limped away with a blank expression on his face. Draco shuddered and walked to his quarters in the east wing of the Manor. When he burst through his bedroom door, the first thing he spotted was the dangerously tall stack of Daily Prophet papers on his desk. Sitting on top of the pile, preening his feathers, was Rat, his eagle owl. The dark owl hooted and plucked something thin and long from the desk and presented it to his master.

_My wand, _Draco thought with relief. He stroked Rat in thanks and summoned the top newspaper on the pile to him, smiling at the feel of magic pulsing through his wand. He caught the paper and scanned the first page quickly, reading an update story about his father's madness. It certainly explained his father's attitude.

_Rudolphus spotted…_

_ A 'missing' ad for him…_

_ A biography of Rita Skeeter by the bint herself…_

And then he stopped. He flung the paper to the right, hearing it smack the wall before landing on the floor with a poor _thud_. Draco took two long strides to his desk, pushing and shoving moving pages into the air and onto the ground. He dropped into his stiff, wooden chair, proceeding to stare blankly at the perfect wood of his desk. He furrowed his brow. He snatched up his quill. He wretched open complaining drawers. What was he feeling? What was he _doing_? He sighed and whipped out a piece of parchment, scratching out Hermione's name on it with his inked quill. He glanced back at the wolf picture and shook his head.

_Have you seen this wolf?_


	5. Chapter 3

_So... Hey guys! This was supposed to be up last night at about eight... but it failed. The damned internet cookies were just too hard to chew through (see what I did there?). Anyways, here it is. I know Draco may seem out of character or OOC if you may. Criticize me if you like, I'm still quite satisfied with how this turned out. I hope you enjoy it as well. :) _

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><p><em><span>DRACO MALFOY. FOUND!<span>_

_ The young Malfoy heir was discovered in the Alley yesterday afternoon, looking clean and rich as usual. Almost like nothing had ever happened. Our team asked him where he could have possibly been hiding for three weeks._

_ "Nowhere, really," said Malfoy with his signature smirk. "Just some business. Maybe a special lady."_

_ Nothing else was revealed. _

Draco sighed in relief at the little bits of information. Good. Only the cover story showed through. _Well some of it wasn't _just_ a cover story, _said a snippy, teasing voice in his head. Draco grimaced. He flicked the news page past him irritably. More rubbish. He flicked his wand and the thick newspaper pages vanished.

_Now_, he thought. What could he possibly do that would distract him completely from thinking about Hermione?

Nothing.

Bloody fool.

Bloody, gushy, disgusting, thought-lost fool.

A slamming door ruthlessly shoved him out of his thoughts. His leg jerked in shock, knocking his chair from under him. He clumsily clawed the desk for his wand and leapt up, yet in the end, he fell to the floor again.

"Oh, relax, you nitwit. It's me," said a muffled voice just beyond the door. Blaise Zabini, the irritating dupe, appeared in Draco's room. Draco glared up from the floor.

"What do you want?" Draco spat, sitting, slumped, on the floor. Blaise's exceedingly sharp, oak wand jabbed into Draco's back. He grunted.

"Up, my boy," Blaise proclaimed cheerily, repeatedly stabbing Draco. "We have a lady to tend to."

Draco's head swiveled so quickly, he felt whiplash.

"What? What are you talking about? Are you really-?"

"Catch your breath, mate. All I heard was 'what'. Goodness, you'd think an egotistical aristocrat wouldn't've made such a fool of himself," Blaise sniffed in mock disgust. "But anyways, 'Mione sent a letter-,"

"'Mione? Why do you get to call her _'Mione_?"

"Stop it. Anyways, I was saying-,"

"Are you her friend? She sent a letter through you or what? When have you become friends? I don't remember you ever coming down and-,"

"Oh, calm yourself, jealous git."

"I'm _not_ jealous."

"_Anyways_, I've been trying to say, she has a letter for you. And instead of having that stupid owl of yours-,"

"Rat. His name is Rat."

"-deliver it, she had me do it. Didn't even pay me a Knut."

"Creature like you? Who would pay?"

"Now, now Draco, you know not to treat your friend in such a way," Narcissa chastised from the door. Blaise's smirk curled into a genuine smile at the sight of his favorite aristocrat. Other than the one slumping, unashamed, on the floor.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Blaise greeted politely, taking her pale hand and swooping down to plant a chaste kiss on the porcelain fingers. Narcissa gave Draco a meaningful look.

"I cannot imagine, Draco" she said. "How you've made such polite friends when you're such a wreck yourself."

Draco snorted.

"Thanks, _mum_, I love you too," he snapped rudely. Narcissa ignored his tone and folded her arms.

"So what is this love letter you two speak of?" She asked curiously.

"Actually, m'am, _I_ was speaking. _He_, evidently, was-," Blaise started.

"Alright, alright, sorry!" Draco barked.

"So what is it?" Narcissa demanded again, unflustered by their bickering manner. Draco rolled his eyes and took his time pushing off of his pristine wood floor.

"Now you've done it," he muttered to Blaise, plucking his rolling wand from the table. Blaise gave a blank, innocent look, cocking his head to the side for good measure.

"What did I do now?" He asked in mock ingenuousness.

"Blaise, I would like this letter," Narcissa demanded coolly.

"Blaise, it's for me," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"And you won't even let your dear mum see this?"

"Mum, _please_ get out."

"I'm doing this for you, Draco."

Narcissa flicked her wand gracefully and a square envelope soared from Blaise's coat pocket. Draco leapt for the letter while growling insanely at a shell-shocked Blaise.

"Charms, you idiot! You're supposed to protect it with charms!" He snarled. Narcissa calmly Apparated out of range and Draco collided painfully with his floor, creating a cringe-worthy _THUMP_. Narcissa's chuckle jingled quietly in the next room.

"I love you, dear," she called merrily. "Really, this is for your good."

Draco's groan was muffled by the unharmed wood.

OoOoOo

_Hermione woke groggily to the sound of a screeching, animalistic sound. A pair of claws poked into her stomach. She jerked up and flung her eyes open._

_ "ACH!" She screamed as her eyes met those of a feathery, black owl. It chirped cheerily and flung an envelope at her face. S_lowly and groggily, s_he tore the envelope into minuscule pieces, still partially in her dreamy, blurry state. She hadn't noted the color of the parchment until she reached the neat, folded letter._

_ Made of glowing emerald green material. With an elaborate "M" crest._

_ Well._

_ That could only mean one thing._

_ She unfolded the smooth paper and read the elegant, silver handwriting. _

_Hermione,_

_I heard you were in charge of my case. Sorry for burdening you with extra work on your enemy._

_This got me thinking. Why don't we get together? I could make up for your childhood. Just a bit of tea at Richeu's. Sunday morning of this week. It would really please me if you sent a reply back with Rat._

_ Hermione whipped her head to the left, where "Rat" preened his feathers leisurely, raising his head occasionally to lay eyes on her barn owl, Luv. Hermione shook her head with a tiny smirk and dropped her eyes back to the letter._

_I hope I have not caused much disturbance to your job. And I heard you're looking for a wolf. I never knew you had a sentimental obsession with wild animals._

_Yes, I am quite sane._

_Draco Malfoy_

_ Hermione shook her head slowly, her mind still dazed and processing the hazy letters painted onto the paper. She slinked out of bed and threw a jacket sloppily over her tank top and shorts. Plopping into her chair, she plucked her grey quill from its place on her desk and reached for her pile of parchment. She unsteadily began to write a reply. She shot out of her skin as a steady knock sounded at the door. Her head ended on the desk and she groaned. _

_ "Ugh, coming," she called. She shuffled to the door, dragging along like a zombie. When Hermione pulled open the door with much difficulty, a smirking, Slytherin face greeted her. Hermione covered her face with her hands, wishing the face away._

_ "Blaise, I'm not in the mood," she grumbled._

_ "Tsk, tsk, Miss Granger," Blaise chastised, welcoming himself into her flat. "I'd expected you to be up and running by this hour."_

_ "Well, I'm _not_ up and running, Zabini," she countered. "Please, the door is this way. I have things to do."_

_ "Is that anyway to treat your beloved friend, 'Mione?"_

_ "I'm in the middle of something."_

_ "What?"_

_ "Nothing of your concern."_

_ "Please, Hermione?"_

_ "Fine. Only if you deliver it."_


	6. Chapter 4

_Hello my lovelies! Yes I know this is late... rather like me, actually. I had taken a week or so break from this and devoted it all to testing testing testing! These are some tense months in school! I've been waiting to give this to you guys for a while already! Anyways, I'm not sure how I feel about the ending this time :/ Everyone please tell me how you like it or don't like it. I've decided to push the sneak peeked part to the fifth chapter :3 hehe._

_I do not own Harry Potter. Mrs. Rowling does. _

_PS. I do love favorites and watches, but I love to hear from you guys! Please please PLEASE drop me a review! Make me happy! I love you all! Enjoy!_

_PSS. I don't feel like switching this story to incomplete. Sorry. I'm a lazy bum. :3_

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><p><em>Draco,<em>

_I would love to join you Sunday for some tea. Though, I'll have to know what time you want me there. I'm not exactly available for the whole day._

_About your case, it was no big deal. I had not gotten to the end of it before you appeared. It was also quite an… eye opener for me. Maybe I should thank you this time. While I was working on your case, I did indeed pick up an injured wolf. I usually help wounded animals when I can, if you must know, Malfoy._

_Hermione_

Draco lowered the tiny letter so that he could glare daggers at the woman sitting properly on _his_ bloody couch, sipping _his_ bloody brand of tea.

"Well?" Blaise broke the silence first, impatience evident in his tone. Narcissa continued to sip tea noiselessly. She finally placed her steaming cup down, the mute sound of porcelain on wood startling in the silence.

"I'll be shopping in the Alley later today," she started. "Since it seems you want to have a go at tea and all those casual type date things, I might as well get you some new silk pants for-,"

"I thought you were to stay in France, mother," Draco interrupted, dismissing everything she had said. The female blonde rolled her clear eyes.

"Unfortunately, dear, marriage in the pureblood society means you may not leave your partner alone and insane while your child goes on mystical adventures in a Muggle-born girl's home," she countered. Draco flushed a pale, rosy pink. Narcissa cocked her head, studying her son thoughtfully.

"The color looks lovely on you," she commented. "Perhaps I'll get you a tie that color for tomorrow."

Draco seethed.

"Out, please, mother," he grumbled. Narcissa smirked.

"Ah. Nothing better than being kicked out of your own precious Manor, no?" She laughed. Her faded, blue robes fluttered merrily as she exited the room with a crack of Apparition.

"Now what?" Blaise spoke again from his corner of the room. Draco finally set the note down and turned in his plush chair to face his friend.

"Now Blaise Zabini should take his leave," Draco replied. He flung his vast closet open and perused its hangers for appropriate clothing to replace his soiled ones. He sifted through his sooty blacks and then through his emeralds.

"And why should Blaise leave? He's being a rather handsome décor right about now," Blaise called sarcastically from Draco's room.

"I'm going out," Draco replied.

"Where?"

"Ireland; I was supposed to pick up my blue riding cape weeks ago and-,"

"I'll come with you, then. No trouble in that, I presume," Blaise said easily. Draco shook his head.

"You're more than enough trouble," Draco shot back. "Really, Blaise. Go play with your dog or something."

"His name is _Zuko_," Blaise corrected. "And right now, he's with Pans because I had to come here and aid-,"

"I'm sorry you can not see, Blaise, that I'm not interested in hearing about your Muggle-character-named pooch," Draco said, sarcasm dripping like sticky honey from his lips. "I have something to do."

"Fine," Blaise pouted. "I'm going to 'Mione's."

Draco heard his wooden chair scrape the floor and heard the distant crack of Apparition, gritting his teeth the entire time and stopping himself from telling Blaise he desired to come along.

OoOoOo

"Good morning, Draco!" Amy called cheerfully as Draco pushed open the jingling door to the merry, little tea shop.

"Good morning, Amy," he greeted, favoring her with a polite smile. His eyes searched the shop for his favorite booth, located in a comfortable corner that displayed a modest amount of the Muggle Picasso's work.

"The usual, then?" She called from the front of the shop while Draco settled into the booth contentedly, perusing the same works on the wall over again.

"Yes, thanks," he replied. He waited for Amy to present him his usual tea and muffin before speaking again. "Where's the old Richeu?"

Amy, despite being married to the mentioned wizard for quite some time, blushed and wiped her hands on a neat apron that hung around her waist.

"He's out in the Alley, just across the street, really," she explained, busying her hands with straightening frames hanging from the eggshell white wall. "He's buying robes for the soirée at the end of this month."

"Soirée?" Draco asked casually. He snuck a glance below the table, holding his wrist watch to the dim light and checked the time. He and Hermione had agreed to settle for two, and that would be in less than seven minutes.

"A Hogwarts gathering," she explained briefly. "Anyways, I shan't bore you with the details. You'll be getting the invite soon enough and I see you're waiting two o'clock… and undoubtedly someone special."

Amy winked slyly and hurried back to her vigil at the front of the shop. Draco flushed slightly and his eyes once again shot down to his wrist watch, counting down the seconds to two nervously.

OoOoOo

Hermione straightened her modest, white blouse and red, pleated skirt nervously as she spotted a small, empty tea shop by the name of _Richeu's_ sitting in the middle of the Alley clutter, its faded shingles shining bright in the sun. She carefully approached the white entrance and pushed it open, a bell floating above jingling a merry tune. A woman at a tiny front desk looked up from a thick volume she was reading and graced Hermione with a brilliant smile.

"Hello there," she greeted. Hermione gave her a shy smile.

"Would you like to order anything?" The witch prompted. "I'm Amy, by the way."

"Hello, Amy," Hermione said. "Um… I've never been here before, but I'm looking for-,"

"Draco?" Amy interrupted her. "He's been here for the last ten minutes."

Hermione was taken aback for a moment and flushed pink. Amy gave a knowing smile and gestured to the back of the alley of booths.

"I'll get you some tea, too," the cheerful girl continued. "Good luck with him."

Hermione flushed a translucent red but walked down the narrow aisle of table booths, spotting a blonde head peeking over the top of the last one. She stopped just before the last booth, viewing Draco's pale, sharp features at a weird angle. His grey eyes lifted and he silently beckoned her to sit across from him. Hermione settled into the cushion and let her gaze settle on the art adorning the walls. They were strange, beautiful twists of reality. Picasso, she recognized in her head. Draco followed her eyes and laughed quietly as Amy brought forth a steaming cup of something sweet smelling. Hermione smiled brightly in thanks, sniffing in the scent of her favorite jasmine tea. Draco watched her for a moment before darting back to the art.

"These are my favorite here," he said quietly as Amy departed. "I always sit her for them."

"Um… you come here often?" Hermione asked, sipping her tea nervously at the awkward opening sentence. Draco nodded mutely.

"Richeu and Amy have always been dear friends to me," he explained. There was a moment of silence that blanketed them for a few minutes as they both became immersed in their orders wordlessly. Hermione cracked the silence first.

"So why have you invited me here, Draco?" She asked bluntly. Draco quit sabotaging the muffin to answer her question. He blushed a soft pink and Hermione couldn't help but think it beautiful. Her eyes dropped to his attire.

"You have a lovely tie, Draco," she blurted out, her face soon mirroring his flushed one. Draco's eyes flitted in annoyance momentarily.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"It… um… matches-,"

"Yes, I know, Granger," he said wearily rather than snapping. "My mother picked it out for me."

Hermione nodded and Draco cleared his throat. "But anyways, I invited you here… because I wanted to… thank you."

"For what? Working on your case?"

"Not really. Just forgiving me, I guess. And um… the wolf."

"The wolf?" Hermione cried in shock. Her strangely accurate suspicions flooded her once more. Draco seemed to blush darker, looking as if he slipped up.

"Well… he used to be my mother's pet," he explained slowly. "The Ministry didn't approve of him."

"Why ever not?" She asked, a dangerous edge hidden in the shadow of her words. Draco lifted his eyes and Hermione began to see a trace of the old, smug Draco. He met her eyes confidently and cracked the slightest smirk.

"He was ever so intelligent," he said. "I'd wondered if you had seen any of it show when you took him into your home."

"I did," Hermione replied, the edge subdued but still lurking. "I thought it was rather suspicious."

"You're not the only one to think so, Granger."

"And where is he now?" Hermione jabbed. Draco shook his head.  
>"He is no longer ours."<p>

The booth fell silent and Hermione twirled her spoon absentmindedly in her tea. Bits of leaves and tea swirled and danced merrily in the honey colored liquid. Hermione sighed and glanced at the clock hanging above Draco's head. Two forty-eight.

"Is that all, Draco?" She asked as politely as she could. "I am a tad busy today."

"Oh. I… um. Sorry," he apologized. He cleared his throat and said his next sentence with more bravado. "I would like to get together again if you would like. As acquaintances. I want to make up for my childhood."

Hermione pushed away her urge to snort. "I think you should be looking for forgiveness with the boys. I forgive you, Draco, for your past mistakes."

"Thank you," he spoke quietly. "I…"

"Please owl me, Draco. I must depart now."

Draco smiled in apology and stood to escort her out, but Hermione flashed an expression that forced his bum back to the seat.

"Goodbye," Hermione said. Draco offered a tiny tip of his head and their short, odd meeting dissolved into nothing. Only Amy, smiling softly at her blonde friend's slightly dazed expression, remained a lone reminder.


	7. Chapter 5

THIS ONE IS SHORT, GUYS. So that's why I updated the epilogue with it :) I just couldn't figure out another way to end it, and criticism be damned, I liked the short end.

The ending of this quicky :')

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><p>Draco willed his legs to support his body and he managed to shake the soft feeling from his bones. He forced one leg forward and then the other and watched Hermione disappear down the Alley through Richeu's shiny window as he walked out. He made sure to carefully check if the glass door barred the entrance so he wouldn't slam into it like a lovesick fool. He checked both ways down the crowded Alley and managed to slip into the shadows of Knockturn.<p>

His breath came out as a relieved breath of air and his thin, human body shimmered subtly as his muzzle emerged and his body became cloaked in shiny silver. He slinked back into the shadows of Diagon Alley and began to head back to the Manor with relief. He was speeding his weaving body up in the dark alleyways when he saw a flash of familiar red in the crowd adjacent to him. Before he knew it, a small hand grabbed his fur neck from behind and pulled him into Apparition.

_No no no no no…_

His feet pressed into a thick, familiar carpet and he snapped his grey eyes shut as tight as he could. He sensed the presence of Hermione and Crookshanks, their body heat sticking to his fur.

…Or was it their anger?

He couldn't be sure with the pair.

"So," Hermione growled lowly. "An old friend of Malfoy's, are you? I thought purebloods were all about manners and courtesy. Well, bloody forget that! No gratitude, just a bloody ink print!"

Draco hunched in on himself and covered his pointing ears with heavy paws. The stinking cat yowled along with his owner's ranting.

"I can't believe you can't even be…"

_Bloody shit… blah blah blah… more rubbish._

"…know you're a wolf and you can't… but…"

_I'm sorry, what? I can't hear you over the sound of my nonchalance. Just get your stupid rant over with and I'll start talking._

"…But, Malfoy, you really suck at disguises."

_Your talking is-_

_ What?_


	8. Epilogue

We're finished, boys and girls. :') My account will be going on a sort of hiatus soon... I don't know. Maybe there won't even be one... but just to be sure. Anyways, I'll be gone for a while and I wanted to bring this to a close :) It's been so amazing with you guys, and I really ended up finding it in me to construct a longer story. :) I think you all know, this was originally supposed to be a one-shot. :P

Enjoy this last bit, you guys! Love and kisses :)

EDIT: A very special thank you for who has been my beta of a sort to this story :) I couldn't have done it without you, Bones! :D

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><p>"Ah, Draco!" Richieu crowed over the waltzing music in Hogwarts's Great Hall. "I didn't think you'd come to the soirée. Who is this lovely lady on your arm? Is she the one Amy has been gushing about?"<p>

Hermione blushed faintly as Draco tightened his arm slightly around her waist, rubbing the pink, silk material comfortingly.

"Richieu, this is Hermione," Draco introduced with a soft smile hooking onto his lips. "Hermione, Richieu and Amy. They were finishing off seventh year when we were entering Hogwarts."

"It's lovely to see you again, Hermione," Amy said earnestly. "I see you've made full of your meeting at our tea shop."

Hermione laughed politely.

"I suppose so. I really should thank you for providing such amazing atmosphere to what could be considered my first official date with Draco."

She lifted her loving, hazel eyes to meet those deep, grey pools of her boyfriend. His smirk faded and turned genuine.

For one blissful second, they forgot they were surrounded by any Hogwarts prodigy that still lived.

For one memorable second, Hermione's eyes sparkled with the amusement of Crookshanks and Draco's first meeting while Draco's smiled with the remembrance of them lying together as Hermione and Wolfy.

But seconds only lasted so long.

"Hermione?" A voice called from the crowd of dancers. A shaggy haired mess appeared in front of Hermione and Company.

"We'll be going now," Richieu excused himself and his wife politely, weaving into the blend of dancing wizards.

"Hermione?" Harry repeated, closer now. His eyes blinked in alarm, simply staring as Hermione greeted him happily.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a quick hug. He glanced over her shoulder and stared blankly and her blonde companion.

"It _is_ Draco, isn't it?" Harry murmured, stepping out of the hug.

"Well perceived, Potter," Draco laughed. Hermione stepped back into Draco's side nervously, watching her friend's unsure face.

"Are you mad at me, Harry? Are you okay with this?"

"It's not like I have much say anyway," Harry chuckled, sticking a hand out for Draco, cautious but friendly. Draco slowly slid his hand against Harry's giving a loose shake. "But if he makes you happy, Mione, I suppose we'll come to a truce soon enough. I don't have much to say about how Ron will act, though."

Draco snorted in disgust at the name, and dropped his hand back to his side. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He's not my mother."

"I know, Hermione, but… sooner or later…"

"Alright, Harry, go have fun with Ginny. Get out of my hair."

"Only if he could find a way out of that bush of yours," Draco muttered in amusement as Harry walked away. His girlfriend slugged him in his left arm, but nothing could kill his cheery mood.

"At least my skull isn't thicker than my wand," she countered with a smirk. Draco laughed aloud, tucking chestnut curl behind Hermione's ear.

"Your hair makes up for it," he snickered. Before she could protest, he said, "C'mon. Everyone else is waltzing away on the dance floor. I think we should join in."

Draco began to twirl her, deterred only by Hermione's quick jab at his toe with her heels. She put on a false angelic smile.

"Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," she said. "Was that your toe? My foot just couldn't resist."

"I'll pretend it wasn't to get me back, but because you can't dance."

"My dancing's not that bad."

"Then quit dragging your feet like- ah! Woman! That hurts!"

"What? I barely even touched your shoe! And- hey, why'd you stop, Draco? We're standing in the middle of the floor!"

"Kiss it better."

"What? Draco? Where are you learning this rubbish?" Hermione asked in exasperation as Draco held her hands tight, preventing her from escaping. His expression was firm, but his request… so childish. Hermione sighed but leaned closer.

"You… are a handful."

As she fulfilled his childish demand, she felt him slip something cold and thin against the skin on her left hand. Draco refused to break the kiss, preventing her from looking down. Hermione groaned slightly in complaint and Draco let her go, panting and smirking.

"Draco, what is-," Her breath hitched in her throat.

"It's not what you think," was the first thing out of Draco's mouth, as a sort of explanation. "I… It's a promise ring. I wouldn't ask you to marry me after only a few short months… I'm not that stupid, and I know you aren't either. I just wanted you to have something that would tell you… I really love you, Hermione."

Two arms snaked around Draco's neck, and his head lifted to meet Hermione's glimmering eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered, completely unaware of anyone else. "I love you too, Wolf."

Draco was allowed a smile before he was pulled into her embrace.

_Heh… Wolf._

_ I wouldn't have it any other way…_


End file.
